Page:The Psychology of Shakespeare.pdf/178

Rh earnestness. It would be most interesting could we know how this scene was actually played under the direction of Shakespeare. It does not seem probable that he wished to represent Lear as the subject of so extreme an hallu cination as that his daughters were present, in their own figure and appearance, and that one of them escaped. It is more probable that he wished to represent them, per sonified by the excited imagination, in the form of the stools; and that Kent or Edgar, seeing the bad effects which this vivid personification was working, snatched away one of the stools; and this produced the passionate explo sion on Regan's supposed escape. There is little, indeed, which, in the features of madness,

Shakespeare allowed to escape his observation.

Here, thrown

out with the carelessness of abundant wealth, is the knowledge

that the accusations of the insane are worthless as evidence: “I here take my oath before this honourable assembly that she kicked the poor king, her father.” The honourable assembly, doubtless, did not believe the precision of this statement;

but assemblies more

honourable, and

real

official persons, who, at least, ought to possess a larger knowledge of the peculiarities of the insane, have given credence to the accusations of lunatics, like to this of

Lear's, except that they had no foundation in the reality of unkindness:

“'Tis the times' plague when madmen lead the blind.” In the speech, “Let them anatomize Regan,” &c., passion has subsided into reflection ; the storm is past, the poor old heart is tranquillized by exhaustion, the senses are falling into the blessed oblivion of sleep : “Make no noise, make no noise; draw the curtains:

So, so —we'll go to supper in the morning.” Even Kent now acknowledges that his dear master's wits M”